WASHINGTON (WCSC/AP) - U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham is next in line to oversee the process of judicial confirmations, a top priority for Republicans and for President Donald Trump.

Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the current chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is stepping down, paving the way for South Carolina’s Graham to take over as the new chair.

“If I am fortunate enough to be selected by my colleagues to serve as Chairman, I will push for the appointment and Senate confirmation of highly qualified conservative judges to the federal bench and aggressive oversight of the Department of Justice and FBI," Graham said Friday. “Finally, I will continue to seek common sense, bipartisan solutions to major issues facing our nation.”

Grassley says he plans to become chairman of the Senate Finance Committee next year. To do that, he’ll have to give up the gavel of the Judiciary Committee, which he has held since 2015.

Graham lauded Grassley’s work as chairman, saying his work with Democrat and Republican colleagues “accomplished so much for the American people.”

“I very much appreciate Senator Grassley’s leadership of the Senate Judiciary Committee," Graham said “He chaired the committee with a steady hand, sense of fundamental fairness, and resolve. His leadership serves as a model to us all.”

Graham has become a close Trump ally and was a vocal supporter of Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation to the Supreme Court.